Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very happy to commend and support this motion. The family farm model of agriculture in this country is really struggling at the moment. It means that our local rural communities and rural way of life are struggling also. When farmers have money, they spend it in their local communities and in their shops. When no money is being spent in our local communities, the local shops are not doing well. Fianna Fáil believes in this model of family farm agriculture and supports it. The agrifood sector employs more than 250,000 people in rural communities and is the largest indigenous industry in Ireland, with food and drink exports reaching €13.9 billion in 2018. That does not mean that the farmer as the primary producer is getting that - not at all. The average farm family income in 2018 was just over €23,000, which lags far behind the average industrial wage. More than 40% of farms are actually earning an income of less than €10,000 per annum.

Members have spoken over recent years about the beef crisis, and we all welcome that the strike is now over. Part of the reason farmers had to go out and strike was the complete lack of trust. This led to the strike. Commitments have been made and they must be adhered to. Trust has to be built with the farmers and in the rural communities. We need fair prices, trust and transparency.

Irish farmers are being crippled by low prices, market volatility, bad weather, and stark challenges on the international stage such as Mercosur on the horizon and Brexit. We need to support our farm families and our rural communities. Supporting our farmers is one of the first steps towards doing that.

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